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#133 Fitness

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Contents

Good Day Sunshine

New Success Story:
Sarah W.

Tip of the Week: Exercise for Charity

Recipe of the Week: Original Orange-Jicama Salad

Chat Live with Kathy Smith and Teigh McDonough!

Make Your New Year, New You Resolutions Come True!

New Year, New You WOWY Style Is Here!

Do You Have a Good Post of the Month?

"Yoga is capable of rendering human life heavenly and blissful and by means of it, people can become joyous, and experience happiness and contentment."

Surya Namaskara, The Sun Salutation

Good Day SunshineA five-minute morning routine that will give you a great outlook on your dayBy Steve Edwards

Your alarm goes off and it's dark, cold, and all you've got to look forward to is another day at the office. Getting out of bed, frankly, sucks. So you hit the snooze button, turn over, and snuggle back into your pillow for five more minutes of bliss. Butouchsomething else is amiss. Not only is it cold and dark outside the covers, but your New Year's resolution of getting into shape has rendered your body sore and stiff. "This is all I need," you think, your resolution fading with each pang of pain. "Something to make my life tougher!"

Don't despair; help is on the way. Here is a 5-
to 10-minute morning routine that will revamp your
outlook on the day. And the best part is, you don't
even have to toss aside the covers to get started.

Part I - The Snooze Cycle
You've hit the snooze and buried yourself deep within the confines of your comforter, contemplating the inevitable reality that you have to leave this space. Here's how to turn these moments of dread into a time of hope, or even inspiration.

Breathe. This is easy, since you're doing it anyway. Focus on taking a few deep breaths. Breathe in slowly from your nose and relax as your exhale, letting the breath slide out of your body.

Wiggle your toes. Slightly at first, then work this into flexing and extending them, moving them side to side and in circles. This simple process is not only a warm-up for your feet. Jumping out of bed is cold is one of the harshest things you do to your body, but it primarily affects the feet. If everyone practiced this one simple thing, maladies like plantar fasciitis would be far less common.

Do the same with your hands. Open and close them easily, working up to stretching your fingers as far as they can go. This is even more vital if you suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome.

Next, like a cat, move your arms and feet as far apart as they can go in a full body stretch. Tense your body, then relax it. Repeat a few times. This will open up your lungs and you'll begin to lubricate your connective tissues and bring blood to your muscles.

Still under the covers, lie on your back and slide your knees up. Then drop them to one side. This easy rotation will stretch out your back and spine. Repeat on the other side.

You're now ready to get out of bed. As your feet hit the floor they'll be warm and ready to bear the weight of your body. Your breathing will be more pronounced and standing will be easier, especially if you're sore. While the feeling will be subtle, each movement should feel less restricted.

Part II - The Sun Salutation
You've taken a great step already, but the addition of a few Sun Salutations can be truly transforming. No matter how bad I feel, when I practice this, I'll always hit a point where my mind clears and it feels as though a weight has been lifted off my body. Every day, no matter what. It's better than coffee!

There are two types of Sun Salutations, or Surya
Namaskara, if you're traditional or Indian. The first consists of nine vinyasas, or positions, and the second, of 17. We will discuss the first type here. Of course, if you want to do more you can.

1st vinyasa. To begin, stand straight up, feet together, chest up, head tilted slightly down, gazing at the tip of the nose. This is called Samasthiti, which means standing in a straight line. Then breath slowly in through the nose, raise your arms overhead, and bring your hands together. Lean your head back and look up at your fingertips.

4th vinyasa. Next, press your hands on the floor and while exhaling, throw your feet back until you are on your hands and toes onlylike the bottom of a push-up, but with your arms in close to your sides.

5th vinyasa. Then press your chest forward, straightening your neck and bending your back. Look up toward the ceiling, extending your feet out so that the tops of your toes are pressing against the ground (this pose is often called "Up Dog").

6th vinyasa. Next, lift the waist up, tilt the head under, heels to the floor, and gaze at the navellike an inverted "V" (called "Down Dog").

7th vinyasa. This is a movement that goes back to the 3rd vinyasa by jumping your feet up close to your hands and straightening your legs. This can be amended by just stepping forward. I usually step on the first one and jump on subsequent repetitions.

8th vinyasa. Follow the 2nd vinyasa.

9th vinyasa. Follow the 1st vinyasa. Now you should be standing back in Samasthiti.

Repeat as many times as desired. Try to empty your mind and keep your gazed fixed toward the tip of your nose. Don't try and push these movements or stretch too muchyou're just warming up. Just concentrate on your breathing and let the Salutations take you into the day.

New Success Story: Sarah W.

AFTER

Congratulations to Sarah W., our January Success Story!
"Yes, I lost 50 pounds of weight, but I feel like I lost 50 pounds of emotional baggage. Beachbody delivered exceedingly more than what it offered in the Power 90 infomercial. The commitment of 90 days is just what they say: Push Play and you'll get results. Boy oh boy, did I get results!! Beyond my wildest dreams, now I can say, 'I was a size 12 once; now I'm a 10!!!'"

Combining a charitable event with your fitness goals
can be a great way to keep you motivated and put
a little pressure on yourself to see a program through
to the end. Since any race or competition has only
one person that will cross the finish line first,
this is a way that we can find our own challenge
and a way to "win" the competition. Most participants
are not world-class athletes, so the desire to run
a 10K or do a triathlon is a personal challenge.
Fund-raising is a way to heighten that challenge.
And it's also a great way to keep yourself motivated
so that you don't give up on your own fitness objectives.
You can easily parlay your personal quest into a
philanthropic event. By tying a charitable event
to your fitness goals, you add a "bigger than you" aspect
that provides extra incentive to keep going during
periods when you lose steam.

Recipe of the Week: Original Orange-Jicama Salad

When we saw Carol J. was from Idaho, we thought, "Oh great, just what we need. Another potato salad recipe!" But Carol surprised us with this original, delicious salad with nary a spud in sight. What a great way to combine your greens with fresh fruittwo things most of us just don't get enough of. It'll go great with Mexican food.

If you have a recipe you think is both healthy and delicious, send it on over to us at recipes@beachbody.com. If we publish your recipe, we'll send you a free Beachbody T-shirt!

Make Your New Year, New You Resolutions Come True!

We've added even more daily support tools, games, prizes, and tips to help keep you motivated every day throughout the month January.

Start by visit our motivating new Web page where you can post your New Year's resolution, play games, win CASH and other cool prizes, get special offers, and much more! Click here to post, play, and win!

New Year, New You WOWY Style Is Here!

During the month of January,
WOWY.com will give away a $100 Gift Certificate
a dayevery dayto one lucky WOWY participant.
Only those WOWY members who have submitted a photo
of themselves will be eligible to win, so get a
jump on the month by uploading your photo now.
Check out WOWY.com today for the official announcement, rules, and regulations.

Do You Have a Good Post of the Month?

We are always looking for
inspiring posts by our Members. If you come across
one on the Beachbody Message Boards, send it to
us at greatposts@beachbody.com.
If your post is chosen, you'll receive a brand
new Beachbody T-shirt!